Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-08-06


This epitaph, not unlike many others,
fails to tell the truth as history has re-
vesied it, for Captain Drew did not COM
mend his Brittanic Maieety's sloop-of.
war when he lost his life at the Capes,
but was on q privateering cruise. which
was but little removed from piracy itself.
England was coping with Napoleon both
on land and water at that time, and
George III, was in dire distress for
money. Hence he granted letters of
marque and reprissl to all that asked for
them. james Drew, who belonged to a
bold but impecunious family OF Irish
sailors, secured such letters ln January,
1888, and promptly sailed for the Span
ish Main on the brig De Braak, which
was equipped with dozen brass cannon
and manned by thirty eight officers and
men, On May 25 the De Braak appeared
oil Cape Healopen, having In tow the
Spanish galleon La Plata. She was
bound Tor Halifax, the captain told
Pilot Andrew Allen, of this place, who
had been taken Oh board from the pilot
boat Friendship, but was constrained
to come here for water. The captain
was in a hilarious mood.S He had had
good luck. he said, and the pilot must
drink to bis health. But storm Tas
brewing in the southwest. Om:ncus
clouds were looming up behind Rehoboth
and so, while the captain had gone down
into the cabin for another bumper, Pilot
Alien ordered the Light sails cIewed up.
When the captain returned to the deck
and noted what had been done he
ordered the sails sheeted home again
and turning to Allen with an oath, said
| Wv Il.x l. l.. Il,
look out for the spars."
The De Braak was then rounding
Henlopep; minute later she was
brought to and boat lowered to allow
her captain to 60 ashore. Several sail
ors had dropped into tie boat and Gap
tain Drew was about to step down when
furious gust of wind struck the sloop,
threw her on her beam ends, and, the
port holes being open; she filled and
sank instantly. Pilot Allen sprang from
the DE Braak's deck into the boat and
broke his leg, but he lived many years
afterward to tell this tragic story OF the
De Braak's disaster. Captain Drew, his
lieutenants and thlrty-eight men, in
cluding fifteen prisoners taken from the
La Plata, went to the bottom. Twenty.
i've men were picked up alive by other
| uoato. Au6 EccCueu Lueu U6uOB1Gu Ele
loss of the countless treasures of gold
and silver and diamonds that had gone
down with the De Braak. They seid
that they had taken two Spanish gal.
Icons with millions OF dollars worth o.
precious metals. bound from Peru and
Mexico for Spain. They paid their bills
in half doubloons, OF which they said
they had many easkets full in the hold
of the De Braak.
/ The efforts to locate end recover thii
lost treasure haye been many, and be.
gan seventy-fve years ago. It is in th,
4 memory OF some OF our old people tha;
Just about the date of our second wal
with England an English frigate and
sloop GAME here and tried to raise the
4 De Braak. It is also said that thil
4 irigate .bridled the wreck with it's stout
eat hawsers and never budged her
\ Modern divers and suction engine
hope to have better luck. The story o
the effort goes that sbout 1906 tiilber
Moi Cracken, the chum OF Pilot Allen, ii
company with his SON Henry, .'set til
bearings Of the wreck ion the, purpose o
aiding some future effort" These bear
ings we're Of course, faithfully recorded